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Post by Trinn on Oct 10, 2011 23:50:30 GMT -5
Cherilyn would have loved to spend weeks in that little room, surrounded by the elegant maps. Such ancient things they were, and so much to be learned from them. Her eyes lingered on the walls, on the weapons, and on the three other corridors branching off. Where, she wondered, did those lead? Time was limited, though, and she was hastened to follow after Stefan. Her heart began beating faster. This was it, she would have to leave him behind. She would have to abandon him again. "Stefan..." she began, blinking rapidly, "are you sure, this is the right way to do this. Should we not delay for just a week? Even just a few days? I can't.... I don't want to leave without you."
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Post by Tismri on Oct 11, 2011 0:09:39 GMT -5
The sound of her pleas were breaking his heart, and Stefan found his steps faltering. He didn't want to be separated from her, either, didn't want to be abandoned to this dark place. But neither did he want to leave her here to be tortured. For whatever reason, Saenon had not followed Galbatorix's command yet, but he didn't want to risk her changing her mind.
"I can't leave you here," he said, stopping and turning to face her. The tears had returned to his eyes. "Don't you see? If you stay here, you will be tortured until Galbatorix finds your true name, and then you will be his slave. I would sooner die than let that happen. Any delay would cause me pain, knowing what you would be living through."
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Post by Jay on Oct 11, 2011 9:12:32 GMT -5
"You should listen to him you must go," Jaygon looked down the corridor. Turma I need you to land in the old Shur'tugal coronation room.
What is your plan? Turma asked relief flooding through their bond that he was not Jaygon was not captured.
You'll see Jaygon finished. "You have to move fast and if you don't mind I'll come with."
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Post by Trinn on Oct 11, 2011 22:17:18 GMT -5
Seeing the tears appear in his eyes, Cherilyn felt an almost overwhelming sense of sorrow and mingled fear. Stefan must have went through a great deal in order for him to show such emotion. Cherilyn always knew there was more to him than he let his somber features reveal. Reaching up, she anxiously twisted the braid of her hair. As she was still trying to form a response, or even to make her feet move, Jaygon spoke. She nodded to him. His presence she wouldn't mind on the journey back. He might even keep her from collapsing into deep grief for leaving Stefan behind. Her eyes turned back again to him. Those tears... and then Cherilyn gasped as a thought struck her.
"Stefan!" she said breathlessly, eager to say what was in her mind, "your tears. Your emotion. You must let it out. You have to let your emotions show. Don't you see, if you change that, if you let yourself smile once in a while, laugh, cry, you will be changing your true name." She didn't need to say more. Stefan must know that he kept a stoic face all the time. Even for all the months she had spent training with him, he had barely smiled. When Cherilyn stopped speaking, she found her hands on his shoulders. She wanted to shake him, make the tears fall freely from his eyes, induce sobs to wrack his shoulders. There was yet hope that she might not have to leave him behind, and if she had to shake him to do it, so be it.
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Post by Jay on Oct 11, 2011 22:51:15 GMT -5
Jaygon stood still and Impassive as he saw what Cherilyn was doing. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Jaygon thought. This was one smart girl for her to figure that out, or maybe one that studied the affects of true names. Even if he does let his emotions show however he thought in theory it could still take a while for his true name to change. Jaygon remain perfectly still and merely watched, pondering this issue. He would hate to leave another kindled spirit behind in Galbatorix's court, but he couldn't bring him with him if he was still bound to Galbatorix.
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Post by Tismri on Oct 11, 2011 23:01:55 GMT -5
Cherilyn's sudden excitement started Stefan momentarily. He realized then that he was crying. In fact, he'd been expressing more emotion the last few hours than he had for the majority of his life. She was begging him to show more emotion. Of course, it made sense. Doing such a simple thing could in the end change almost everything about who he was. He knew though, that he never would have done it without her. No one else could have driven him to such extremes.
He felt her small, firm hands on his shoulders, and he hardly noticed that his hand were around her waist in an embrace. Suddenly, every emotion he was feeling--all his fear, his frustration, his joy and sorrow, and pain--narrowed in on one single, solitary action. He leaned closer to her and firmly placed his lips on hers, kissing her as if his life depended on it.
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Post by Trinn on Oct 11, 2011 23:44:50 GMT -5
Cherilyn watched Stefan carefully, wondering what was going through his mind. Would he scoff at her idea, would he try for her? And it seemed he was trying, for the tears fell freely now, no longer held back by his iron will. And then suddenly she felt herself pulled closer to him, locked now in his equally iron arms. Her heart thudded unevenly. Of all the things Cherilyn had been expecting, finding herself lip to lip with Stefan had never occurred to her. The sensation of being so close, and so intimate, with the person she considered her best friend, was not entirely new. The feeling had begun to stir every time she found occasion to be near Stefan. The feeling now swelled, as if victorious, and finally being so close. The sensation was not entirely physical. There was a current of emotions which made if far more potent.
Bidden by extinct, and by an internal need, Cherilyn's hands moved from Stefan's shoulders, her arms encircled his neck in a passionate embrace. Now she returned his kiss; it was desperate, it was fierce, and it was beautiful. How long she had been waiting for this moment, Cherilyn could not recall. She realized only now that she had been waiting at all.
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Post by Tismri on Oct 12, 2011 0:01:35 GMT -5
Despite standing in the middle of enemy territory, attempting to perform an insane escape attempt, even with this ancient elf standing next to them, Stefan suddenly found himself feeling completely content. With Cherilyn here in his arms, returning his kiss, he realized that this was what he had been longing for through the past months. He should have known it long ago, but only now he knew what his heart was telling him. Had he been so cold that he was unable to even hear his heart's desire?
He pulled her even closer, his instincts and desires momentarily overriding all other thoughts. But soon other necessities soon took over. Like the need to breathe.
As reluctant as he was to pull away, he found himself gasping. After taking a moment to catch breath, he smiled at her. It felt good to smile; it was something he hadn't truly done in a long, long time.
"I love you, Cherilyn," he said, and a small laugh escaped his throat. "You drive me insane sometimes, but I love you."
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Post by Trinn on Oct 12, 2011 0:13:46 GMT -5
Breaking from the kiss, Cherilyn felt dazed. She blinked to clear her exulting thoughts. And then she found herself smiling like a small child. Stefan was smiling! He was truly smiling, unhindered. She could actually see his teeth, and he had very nice teeth. Cherilyn felt like she was seeing the man she knew for the very first time. This was how he should be. Her giddiness faded, and in its place was a warmth birthed by certainty. "I love you as well, Stefan. More than anything. Now you know why I cannot leave you here. You are more than just my friend..." she broke off, remembering Jaygon in the room, and Galbatorix wanting them both enslaved. Her anxiety reared and kicked at her enthusiasm. She found herself blushing, mollified that Jaygon had been witness to such an honest moment. But no matter. He was an ancient, there were surly stranger things he had seen. "Now let us leave this place. Let's go home."
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Post by Tismri on Oct 12, 2011 0:32:41 GMT -5
Stefan could have sworn he was floating, he felt so giddy. Even as he reined his thoughts back in to focus on getting out of the place. He couldn't entirely shake the feeling.
"Yes, let's go home," he said. He released Cherilyn from his embrace, but still grasped her hand, to assure them both that he wasn't going to leave her. He couldn't bring himself to let go of her entirely just yet.
He felt a buzzing annoyance in his mind, and after a moment realized it was Jueru.
Don't do that to me again, the dragon growled in his mind. As much as I appreciate the fact your emotions mean your true name has changed and you are now free to come with us, there are some feelings that shouldn't be shared quite so intimately.
Sorry, Stefan said. He was a little bit embarrassed that he hadn't blocked Jueru's contact from his mind, but he also found it ever so slightly amusing. I'll try to keep better control of myself in the future. The promise seemed to placate the dragon a little. Stefan turned to the elf, clearing his throat.
"Thank you for your assistance," he said. "I'm not sure if we would have made it out of here were it not for you."
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Post by Jay on Oct 14, 2011 23:24:04 GMT -5
"Of course, I was glad I could help you," Jaygon smiled at what he had just witnessed. Sometimes I find it torturing to see what I can no longer do, however it is good to see it still exists.
"Now if you don't mind I would like to come with you. I know it's a far stretched proposition, but I want to see what the next generation of riders know already. Would you at least consider this proposition for me?"
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Post by Trinn on Oct 15, 2011 21:38:27 GMT -5
"Your presence would be welcome indeed! The Varden will be thrilled with the presence of another ancient. We have two others who have joined us, riders Tismri and Trinn, bonded to Ismrolde and Thora respectively. But let's be gone from this place now." Cherilyn looked to Stefan. She wanted to be gone before they were discovered, before there was another chance for she and Stefan to be separated again. Breaking from the stillness, Cherilyn moved towards the door Jaygon had indicated, keeping hold of Stefan's hand. Opening the door a crack, she peered outside. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness of the night, and she could make out Jueru's form. On the ramparts was a larger mass, a dragon as red as dark drop of blood. The sight of this dragon made her swallow, hard. Viel was apparently asleep. They would have to move with as much stealth as possible. Though how they would keep the dragon from waking when Jueru flew, she knew not. Bringing her head back inside, she reported what she found. "We will have to be very cautious." she concluded, gripping Stefan's hand tighter.
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Post by Tismri on Oct 15, 2011 23:12:42 GMT -5
Stefan was just as eager to be gone as Cherilyn. Now that he was free of the constraints Galbatorix had placed on him, no longer his name slave, he wished to be gone from Uru'baen and never return. He held Cherilyn's hand tightly as they went down the hall and she approached the door. He didn't like her peeking out to see the potential danger and was ready to yank her back in should anything go wrong.
When she described Viel's location to them, he thought quickly. If she really was asleep, they could probably easily release Jueru's chains and mount him quietly enough to remain undetected. When he took off, though, the vicious dragon was certain to awaken and stop them from going. He turned to their elven friend.
"Is your dragon nearby? When we are prepared to leave, we're going to need a diversion to escape from Viel."
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Post by Jay on Oct 15, 2011 23:57:24 GMT -5
"My dragon is near by in fact in about one minute you will see her, she is coming from the east," Jaygon stated wishing to be gone. "However if you think that she will battle some hatchling dragon you are mistaken unless it attacks first. And what will I do? That is how will I get out? Surely your dragon can't carry the three of us."
A wind blew the folds off Jaygon's cloak revealing the pommel of his sword and his sheath. Turma's almost here we must be off soon.
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Post by Trinn on Oct 22, 2011 0:48:01 GMT -5
Cherilyn made let out an amused grunt. "Don't worry. If that dragon wakes up, she will attack." Viel was known in the battlefield for her short temper. Her blood lust was insatiable, but against an ancient, Viel would be surprised. "Your bond will have no trouble with her, at least not too much. Without her rider their to help, you should be able to trap her with a spell. Excuse me if I assume too much, but I think you and your dragon should have enough energy to stop Viel for a short amount of time. Enough to help us escape." Cherilyn squeezed Stefan's hand, reassuring herself this was all real. She couldn't wait to see the look on Nasuada's face when she returned not only with Stefan, but an ancient to boot. And what would Tismri and Trinn say? Would they be proud? She hoped so.
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